There are several types of detection technologies for ionizing radiation, many of which use high voltage sources from several hundred to several thousand volts. Typically, a proportional counter based on He3 is used to detect ionizing radiation. Shortly after September of 2001 the demand for He3 rose significantly resulting in a substantial increase in the He3 price. This was mainly the result of Homeland Security and other governmental agencies that began to systemically deplete the supply by installing new He3 ionizing radiation detectors at ports and borders. In 2008 the United States used about 80,000 L of He3 gas, almost half of the supply, prompting the significant increase in He3 price. The supply of He3 is determined by the decay of Tritium, a slow process. Thus the supply is limited and cannot be easily replaced.
There are at least 3 main alternatives to He3: Boron 10, Boron Triflouride (BF3) and Lithium-6. Boron 10 and BF3 based ionizing radiation detectors detect neutrons by electronically measuring a charge emission, and Lithium-6 detects absorbed neutrons by scintillated light. Prior to He3 based ionizing radiation detectors, the industry commonly used BF3 for detection. The main problem with a substantially pure BF3 detector is its toxicity; however, it is also less efficient than He3 detectors, so the ionizing detector made singularly of BF3 has to be physically larger. Furthermore the operating voltage is significantly higher, and the resulting waveforms can be significantly different depending on the inherent properties of the detector and the surrounding circuitry. Other ionizing detector options include Boron or Lithium doped semiconductors. Li6 glass fibers, solid state detectors, proportional counters, ionization chambers and processes, plastic detectors and Geiger Mueller tubes. The problem with all the different detectors is they all use different biasing voltages. So systems designed for a particular detector cannot change without a major overhaul. For example, a He3 based ionizing radiation detector may require 1000V while a BF3 based ionizing radiation detector requires 3000V, Lithium doped and other semiconductors require much lower voltages to operate. As He3 gas becomes increasingly scarce, it is desired to explore other detector technologies that can directly replace or be substituted for direct replacement of He3 gas tubes in He3 based ionizing radiation detector systems. However, currently the problem is that all the existing analog and digital electronics are suited for only one platform.
The present invention features an electronic device and method for allowing the direct replacement of typical He3 gas tubes in He3 based ionizing radiation detectors using more cost effective gas tubes without the need to replace or significantly modify the ionizing radiation detection device or hardware platform.